The service recovery paradox: justifiable theory or smoldering myth?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-29-2007
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to address the discrepancy between research that supports the service failure recovery and that which does not by examining customer satisfaction in the event of a service failure empirically.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of the study was achieved by conducting role‐play experiments on undergraduate business students.
Findings
Analysis showed that a service recovery paradox is most likely to occur when the failure is not considered by the customer to be severe, the customer has had no prior failure with the firm, the cause of the failure was viewed as unstable by the customer, and the customer perceived that the company had little control over the cause of the failure.
Originality/value
This information should benefit service managers since service failures are common and typically trigger heightened customer attention. These findings may stimulate future research because the limitations of this study include the use of undergraduate business students and the examination of only one service setting. Nevertheless, this paper does demonstrate that, under the appropriate conditions, a customer can experience a paradoxical satisfaction increase after a service failure.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040710746561
Recommended Citation
Magnini, V.P., Ford, J.B., Markowski, E.P. and Honeycutt, E.D. (2007), "The service recovery paradox: justifiable theory or smoldering myth?", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 213-225. https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040710746561
Original Citation
Magnini, V. P., Ford, J. B., Markowski, E. P., Honeycutt, E. D. (2007). The service recovery paradox: justifiable theory or smoldering myth? Journal of Services Marketing, 21(3), 213-225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/08876040710746561
